Death of Kings
by Isis Lied
Summary: AU Shinya Kougami, a god of death, is given the order to collect the soul of Akane Tsunemori, a young, naïve detective. After a series of apparently unsolvable murders, will having a god of death on her side lead her to the murderer? Their meeting was destined to change both the human world and the world of the gods... Akane/Kougami
1. Chapter 1

Death of Kings

A/N: Am I kicked out of the Psycho-Pass fandom yet? I'm writing my first Akane/Kougami fic (and it's multi chap and angsty, yay!) so I hope I can do the characters justice :P Quick note, when I say gods of death, I mean in a Hades kind of way, like they are supposed to regulate the influx of souls in the human world. Meaning, bluntly, sometimes people have accidents (I'm a horrible person for writing this…) to keep the world at a happy medium. Anyway, sorry for the long rant, hope you guys like the prologue! I'll continue it if you guys would like to see more! Thanks again!

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I wish I owned Psycho-Pass.

-Isis

* * *

Chapter 1- Prologue

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"Where men and angels fall…"

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The newly-appointed detective hurried from her car towards the looming grey building. Rain poured mercilessly from the sky, drenching the brunette until she slipped through the front door, breathing heavily. Taking a minute to catch her breath, the hazel-eyed detective presented her badge to the woman behind the corner. The blonde put down her magazine to glance at the shivering brunette.

"Ah, you must be Akane Tsunemori. It's good to see another female member on the team! Usually it's just me and Yayoi-san. The rest of the team is already in the meeting room; just go down the hallway over there and it should be the first door on the right. Anyway, I'm the forensic scientist and also an analyst at times, Shion Karanomori. They have me manning the desk today since we don't have any active cases. Nice to meet you!" Shion reached a manicured hand over the counter, a bright smile on her crimson lips.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Karanomori-san." Akane shook her hand.

"Awww, sweetie, you don't have to be so formal! You can just call me Shion. Ok, Akane-chan?"

"A-alright, Shion-san. It was a pleasure meeting you." She bowed her head once before barreling towards the meeting room.

Grasping the metal handle of the door, Akane took a deep breath before pushing it open, falling comically on her face when the door opened before she had applied any force to it.

"Oh, Gino-san, is this the newbie everyone's been talking about?" An orange-haired man crouched next to the fallen woman, grinning widely.

"Yo. I'm Shusei Kagari, a profiler! Sorry 'bout the door; I was gonna go get a snack from the vending machine." He held out his hand to which the brunette took thankfully, brushing dust from her pencil skirt.

"It's fine, Kagari-kun. I'm Akane Tsunemori. I hope we can get along." She turned her attention to the silent raven-haired man in the corner. He avoided her gaze, emerald eyes trained to a manila folder.

"It's good that everyone finally decided to show up. I am the lead detective on this team, Ginoza Nobuchika. We are understaffed as is so I can't treat you like a newbie. Take this," he threw a standard black MWPSB jacket in her direction, "we've been assigned a case. You can become acquainted with everyone else in the car."

Nodding once, she followed behind Kagari as the team filed out the door, picking up the blonde analyst on the way.

* * *

"I hate field work…" Shion mumbled, playing with the lighter. She wasn't allowed to smoke in the car but sheer boredom had caused her to flick the lighter on and off as the team drove towards the crime scene.

"Eh, no fair! Shion could bring her lighter _inside _the car but I couldn't bring my DS? This is obviously favoritism! Gino-san, can I bring—"

"No. You make enough of a ruckus already. I don't need to hear you complaining over some video game for five hours." The head detective cut him off, returning his eyes to the road. The brown-haired man sitting beside him gave out a hearty laugh, turning in his seat to glance at the wide-eyed detective.

"We still haven't introduced everyone, have we? I am Tomomi Masaoka, second in command! If you ever need anything don't hesitate to ask, missy!" He held out his hand, smiling.

Akane nodded, grabbing his hand. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Masaoka-san."

She then turned to her right towards the silent cobalt-eyed woman. The woman gave a small nod. "I am Yayoi Kunizuka, the other profiler on the team. "

"Nice to meet you, Kunizuka-san."

"And I'm Choe Gu-Sung, computer analyst. It's a pleasure to meet you." Eyes closed, he gave a sly grin. Akane reached over the orange-haired man to shake his hand, feeling a bit wary of the Korean.

Kagari laughed at her bewildered expression, patting her on the back sympathetically. "You don't have to worry 'bout Choe! He's a nice guy under all the arrogance and creepy smiles! He's actually a genius; he just doesn't do well with people so that's why he's behind the computer. Speaking of which, why did you bring Choe along, Gino-san?"

"It's none of your concern. I've already explained the situation to Choe."

"You're no fun!" The profiler crossed his arms, pouting. He turned his attention to the window, eyes widening in surprise.

"Ginoza, this is the place where—"

"Yes. This is where we found the body of Mitsuru Sasayama. There's been another murder similar to his. The man's heart had been ripped out of his chest without any signs of an exit wound. The heart itself is also missing from the scene of the crime."

The honey-eyed woman let out a tiny gasp, surprise etched on her face. "H-how is that possible?"

"We don't know. That's why the details of both cases haven't been made public. We've been called in because this is not the second death of similar circumstances. It is the seventh. I've made copies of the case files; I assume everyone other than Tsunemori-san has a copy? Here." Without taking his eyes off the road, Ginoza handed her the same manila folder he had been flipping through before.

"I expect all of you to have read through the case files by the time we make it to the crime scene."

A chorus of groans (mainly coming from Kagari and Shion) erupted in the van as everyone begrudgingly flipped through the pages.

"So, this Sasayama guy was…"

"He was the seventh member of the team. And you are the one who took his position." Ginoza replied, looking at the car mirror to see the brunette's expression. She clenched the fabric of her skirt tightly, looking down.

"I-I promise to catch the person who did this! I won't let him get away with seven murders."

"So, Akane-chan, you already think all of the murders are connected? Even with only seeing two of the case files? Isn't that a bit…. brash?" Kagari questioned.

"Yes. There can't be more than one person who knows how to perform a murder in such a unique way. Even if we pretend that 'ripping out a heart without an exit wound' is something easy to do, none of the murders have been publicized so that rules out any copy-cats."

"Ha! You sure know your stuff, Akane-chan! I was worried you might just be another pretty face who wouldn't be able to handle being a detective. Which reminds me, why did you become a detective?"

She laughed, smiling at the orange-haired profiler. "To be completely honest… I have no idea. I scored really high on my college entrance exams. But, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. On a campus tour, I got lost. A white-haired man lead me back to the parking lot. He said in exchange for helping me get back to my car I should check out the Criminology classes the college offered. So, I did. I realized immediately that I could help a lot of people if I became a detective."

Kagari's expression changed immediately, turning from one of amusement to annoyance. "That's it? Because you 'felt like it?' Both of my parents were murdered when I was five years old. I've been trying to catch the guy ever since. I never had a chance for a normal life. So, tell me, what made you decide to be a detective?" He glared harshly at the stunned brunette, all pretenses of the goofy, easy-going man erased from his features.

* * *

"What did this woman do?"

"Nothing. She's of above average intelligence. Young, healthy, kind, intelligent, the epitome of a perfect human. That's why you need to kill her. Death cannot happen only to the old and evil. Death is impartial."

A raven-haired man sighed, staring down at a dark pit. Dark wings emerged from his back as he turned around to glance at the topaz-eyed man.

"I hate when you boss me around. But, I understand. I'll be back later." Unfurling his wings, the man fell into the pit, disappearing into the darkness.

_The puppeteer grinned. Every marionette was now strung from his hands. All the strings were taught and ready to be played. Now, the real game could begin._

* * *

A/N: I hope this was ok! Reviews and suggestions would be great! Akane and Kougami will meet in the next chapter, I promise! As of right now, Unit 1 consists of:

Ginoza Nobuchika- head detective

Tomomi Masaoka- second in command (detective)

Shusei Kagari- profiler

Yayoi Kunizuka- profiler

Shion Karanomori- forensic scientist/analyst

Choe Gu-Sung- computer analyst (I had to add him; Choe would have been a great asset to Unit 1)

Akane Tsunemori- detective

Thanks for reading! This has obviously been influenced by my second obsession, Criminal Minds :P

-Isis


	2. Chapter 2- The Oracle

Chapter 2- The Oracle

A/N: The title of this chapter is a reference to episode 1 of Psycho-Pass when Masaoka calls Sibyl an 'Oracle' and that her will must be done as she is 'justice.' Remember, reviews are loved! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Psycho-Pass.

* * *

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"And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death."

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"You know how Kougami is; why did you send him to collect _her _soul?"

A slight chuckle emerged from the darkness. "He has always been a flighty soul. Too reckless, too kind… too _human_. But, your actions are even more surprising, Makishima. Are you truly questioning the Oracle? You've always carried out every order without a second glance."

"Is it not in our nature to question? I've grown tired of this never-ending monotony. When you are the harbinger of death nothing—neither disease, or age, or pain—stimulates the soul. This life is too comfortable. Isn't there something in living dangerously?"

"Quoting human literature again? Well, I wouldn't say I am surprised. You and Kougami have more similarities than either of you would like to admit. As for living dangerously… aren't you referring to the life of every human? Every breath, every second of wasted existence comes as a surprise. Life is uncertain. Death is final. They don't know when it will happen, when death comes at the hands of the gods and their souls are ushered back into the steady river of time. But, where does that leave us, the gods of death cursed to walk for eternity?"

"…I thought the Oracle herself would know the answer."

"I do. But, what do you think, Makishima?"

The god in question paused, staring down at the pit the raven-haired man had fallen through moments before. "I think… the answer would destroy both the human world and the realm of the gods."

* * *

The orange-haired profiler gazed dangerously in the brunette's direction, fists clenched. Before Akane could stammer out an explanation, a video game console collided with the back of the man's head.

"That glare doesn't suit you. I brought your DS on the off chance you'd have one of your 'episodes.' I'm glad I did." The usually stoic profiler turned away from the pair to gaze out the window. Rain had started to pour from the sky, breaking the heavy silence with its rhythmic taps.

Kagari huffed, blushing as he flipped open the console, ignoring the rest of the occupants of the car. Up-beat music filled the vehicle as Kagari hummed along, fingers mashing against the buttons. All signs of anger washed away from his face as he smiled, looking down at his little virtual farm. The newly-minted detective breathed in a sigh of relief. Confrontation was not her strong suit.

"Kunizuka-san, you're really great!" She smiled widely at the cerulean-eyed woman.

Yayoi didn't respond, instead, returning to her guitar magazine.

"That's Yayoi-san for you! She is a profiler, after all. Of course she'd know how to handle a whining brat like Kagari." Shion declared.

"H-hey, I'm not that bad, am I?" Shusei looked up from his video game, a fake look of hurt on his face.

"Well…"

"I swear you are all children…" Ginoza muttered under his breath, straining to see in the sudden downpour. Lightning flashed against the dark clouds, lighting up certain parts of the road. The wind roared, rocking the pine trees that dotted the small road.

"Shit!" He cursed as a flash of lightning struck the side of the road, causing him to swerve to avoid it. A loud crack erupted from the sky as a tree came crashing down. The dark-haired detective pressed on the breaks to no avail; coupled with the heavy rain and swerving, the SUV's breaks had jammed. He cursed again as the side of the car rammed into the fallen tree trunk, shaking glass and rain into the vehicle. Smoke poured from the hood of the SUV as the team fled from the metal death trap.

"I-Is everyone alright?" Ginoza questioned, mentally counting every head. He frowned immediately. Including himself there were only six people outside the wreckage of the car.

"Where's Tsunemori? Kagari, you were sitting right next to her, where is she?"

"Don't look at me! She was taking off her seatbelt when I last saw her!"

Six pairs of eyes darted towards the car. The brunette was still in her seat, eyes twisted shut.

* * *

Voices swam beneath her conscience as she was engulfed in darkness.

"What do you mean she's not breathing?!"

"I don't know, Gino! I swear she was fine when I left the car."

"Move over, I'll do CPR."

"Kunizuka-san, that's—"

"I'm sorry I have to do this." A dark, unfamiliar voice invaded her conscience as she struggled to open her eyes.

"Who are you?" She strained to speak, her voice echoing in the emptiness.

"My name doesn't matter. The Oracle has deemed it your time to die. I'll make this as painless as possible."

"Wait—I made a promise… I promised everyone I would find Sasayama's murderer. Please, just let me complete this case." She begged.

The figure that was once shadowed stepped forward, allowing her to see his face. The man had dark, messy hair and steel gray eyes. He looked almost apologetic, wings folded behind him.

"You are—"

"A god of death. I was told to collect your soul. However, this… arrangement doesn't break any set rules. I'll let you do this, Akane Tsunemori. But, _I promise_, once you find the murderer I will take your soul."

* * *

The honey-eyed woman groaned, clutching at her head. Bandages were wrapped around her forehead and an IV ran down the side of her arm. She bolted up in the bed, wincing at the bright fluorescent lights.

"Hey, looks like Sleeping Beauty's finally awake!" Kagari chuckled, moving from the comfy armchair to sit on the side of her bed.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. And, it's partly my fault you nearly died; I should have made sure you were out of the car—"

"It's fine, Kagari-kun. Really. I'm not mad at you." She gave him a small smile, feeling the spindles of sleep manifest behind her eyes.

"Ah, that's a relief! I hate to be in people's debt! Anyway, the team has been taking shifts to watch over you. Everyone else is already at the crime scene but it was Ginoza's turn to check on you next so he'll probably be around soon."

"Thank you, Kagari-kun. I'm still tired so do you mind if—"

"Of course not! I've been playing Harvest Moon while I was waiting for you to wake up. I'm sure waiting a few more hours with my game won't kill me!"

Soft snoring immediately followed his reply. He laughed, ruffling her hair. "Heh, Akane-chan's a cutie when she's asleep! So, I guess it could be worse. I'd rather be here than inspecting a dead body!"

Settling back into the green armchair, the profiler turned on his DS, smiling. "Now, which bachelorette should I marry?"

* * *

Ginoza dialed Kagari's cell phone number for the thirteenth time. As the twelve times before, it went straight to voice mail. "Yo, this is Shusei! Sorry I can't come to the phone right now but if you leave a message I'll—"

The raven-haired detective hit end call, stuffing his cellphone back into his pocket. "That damn idiot… he never turns on his phone."

"Is something wrong, Ginoza-san?" Choe questioned, typing away at his laptop.

"It's nothing. Have you gone through the victim's phone records?"

"Yes. There seems to be an unknown number that contacted him both the day before his death and a few minutes after."

"Sounds like someone trying to cover his tracks. Calling after the victim is dead is a good way to keep yourself from being suspected." Yayoi chimed in, flipping through the case files.

"Choe, do you think you could trace the number?"

The man paused from his typing to look over the computer screen. "I'll try. Whoever did this went through a lot of hassle to hide himself. He went through at least a hundred IP addresses. I can find the point of origin, but it may take some time."

The man sighed, flipping through the victim's file. "Alright. In the meantime, Kunizuka, what have you gathered from the way the victim was murdered?"

"The profile isn't complete since Kagari isn't here but, from what I could tell, the murderer is definitely male. The force needed to rip out someone's heart and the fact the body was moved from where the murder took place leads me to think that whoever did this is physically fit. He was also able to place the body in a well-known park during the day without anyone seeing him. And, because of this, I believe the perpetrator to be someone who can blend in. He probably seems very normal, perhaps even attractive since we know from the other murders, he was able to charm his way into the other victim's house seeing as there was no signs of forced entry or signs that the victims fought back."

"I'm no profiler, Yayoi-san, but couldn't it be that the murderer knows all the victims? It would explain how he got into the other victims' homes so easily. And why there were never any signs of a struggle."

"I thought that at too, Masaoka-san. But, if you lay out the seven cases," Yayoi brought out a large map, putting it on the metal table and grabbing a sharpie, "they are not confined to one district. And, if you connect the dots, they form a shape."

She traced the seven markers, allowing the rest of the team to see it.

"That looks like… a wing."

"Yes. Whoever is killing these people thinks he is some sort of vigilante, or worse. A _god_."

* * *

When Akane woke up the room was dark. The lights had been turned down and the long window showed a moonless sky.

"Kagari-kun? Ginoza?" She questioned, struggling to make out the figure in the corner.

"My name is Shinya Kougami. From now on I'll follow you. I can promise you won't die until you catch the murderer."

"…So, it wasn't a dream."

The man raised an eyebrow. "You seem rather… calm. Does none of this frighten you?"

She shook her head, laughing. "Kougami-san, I was exposed to some of the most graphic, terrifying cases in my studies to be a detective. You're probably the least scary thing I've had to deal with all week!"

"I see. Do you—"

The door to the hospital room opened up as the team filed in, a basket of fruit in Shion's arms.

"Akane-chan! I'm sorry I wasn't able to visit earlier but the whole team chipped in to get you a gift. I hope you like fruit." The blonde computer analyst placed the basket on the table, smiling.

"Thank you, everyone. Hopefully I'll be released soon so I can help you with the case." She glanced at the dark-haired man in the corner. No one noticed Kougami even when he walked right in front of the team and faded through the door.

"You don't need to push yourself, Akane-chan! Just make sure you're all better by the time you come back!"

"Don't worry, Kagari-kun. I'm not generally a reckless person. Although, I still can't believe it. My first day as a detective and I nearly died."

"Heh, missy, you should have seen my first day on the job! When I first started I was shot three times in the chest. We had surrounded a rumored drug dealer's home and he came out shooting. Trust me, if you survive the first day you'll be fine." Masaoka laughed, nudging Ginoza's arm.

"What? Oh, Tsunemori, just focus on getting well. You inhaled a lot of smoke and hit your head pretty hard. I don't need a liability on the team, understand?"

"Y-yes, Ginoza-san. I'll prove that I am ready to be a real detective!"

"Hey, Gino, she sounds just like you when you first started. So full of promise and spirit… what happened?" Masaoka teased, patting the man on the shoulder.

He swatted his hand away, frowning. "Whatever. It's time we get back to the crime scene. I expect to see you back on your feet and on the case soon, Tsunemori."

Kagari groaned at the prospect of work, but filed out of the room with everyone else. As he closed the door he looked back one last time. His eyes widened considerably.

"Hey, Gino, was there anyone besides us in the room?"

"What are you talking about?"

I-It's nothing, never mind. I just thought I saw someone in the corner. Guess I just need to get some sleep!" He laughed, brushing off the thought.

* * *

"Shinya Kougami, your fate has already been twisted beyond repair. I wonder what memories lay just beneath the surface? Will you too find out the horrible origin of our existence? If so, you may just replace me one day." Sibyl laughed loudly, a twisted dichotomy of voices that eventually faded into a whimper.

* * *

A/N: Yay for Brave New World quotes! Anyway, I hope it's obvious that this AU takes place in our present day. And I'm a huge fan of Harvest Moon so I couldn't help but add it :3 Kagari seems like the type to play videogames like that XD Ooh, and why did Kagari see Kougami? All the questions…

I'll see you guys in Chapter 3!

-Isis


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